comparative
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English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle English comparatif, from Middle French comparatif, from Latin comparātīvus, equivalent to comparātus, from comparāre (“to compare”) + -ive, from Latin -īvus.
Pronunciation
[edit]- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /kəmˈpæɹ.ə.tɪv/
- (General American) enPR: kəmʹpăr-ə-tĭv
- (without the Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA(key): /kəmˈpæɹ.ə.tɪv/
- (Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA(key): /kəmˈpɛɹ.ə.tɪv/
Audio (New England, without the Mary–marry–merry merger): (file) Audio (US, Mary–marry–merry merger): (file) - Hyphenation: com‧par‧a‧tive
Adjective
[edit]comparative (comparative more comparative, superlative most comparative)
- Of or relating to comparison.
- 1773, James Burnett, Of the Origin and Progress of Language:
- that kind of animals that have the comparative faculty, by which they compare things together, deliberate and resolve
- (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- Using comparison as a method of study, or founded on something using it.
- comparative anatomy
- 1960 December, “Talking of Trains: The riding of B.R. coaches”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 705–706:
- After all, it is undeniable that the B.R. standard coach scored highly in comparative trials with other European railway vehicles on the Continent a few years ago, so that B.R. civil engineers must share responsibility for any defects in its behaviour over here.
- Approximated by comparison; relative.
- 2016 October 24, Owen Gibson, “Is the unthinkable happening – are people finally switching the football off?”, in The Guardian[1], London:
- The Olympics, the weather and a comparative lack of heavyweight clashes so far this season have been cited as reasons for the drop in viewers.
- 1837, William Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences:
- The recurrence of comparative warmth and cold.
- 1692, Richard Bentley, A Confutation of Atheism:
- This bubble, […] by reason of its comparative levity to the fluid that encloses it, would necessarily ascend to the top.
- (obsolete) Comparable; bearing comparison.
- 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, II.137:
- And need he had of slumber yet, for none / Had suffered more—his hardships were comparative / To those related in my grand-dad's Narrative.
Derived terms
[edit]Multiword terms
Translations
[edit]of or relating to comparison
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using comparison as a method of study
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relative
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Noun
[edit]comparative (plural comparatives)
- (grammar) A construction showing a relative quality, in English usually formed by adding more or appending -er. For example, the comparative of green is greener; of evil, more evil.
- (grammar) A word in the comparative form.
- (chiefly in the plural) Data used to make a comparison.
- 2010, Barry Smith, Introductory Financial Accounting and Reporting, page 171:
- Investment ratios are positive. Comparative or trend data are required to draw final conclusions. The absence of comparatives and trend data constrains the conclusions.
- (obsolete) An equal; a rival; a compeer.
- c. 1608–1613, Nathan Field, John Fletcher, “Four Playes, or Morall Representations, in One”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act , (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
- Gerrard ever was / His full comparative.
- (obsolete) One who makes comparisons; one who affects wit.
- c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], line 67:
- Every beardless vain comparative.
Synonyms
[edit]- (grammar: degree): comparative degree
Translations
[edit]grammatical construction
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word in comparative form
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Related terms
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- “comparative”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
- “comparative”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- "comparative" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.
Anagrams
[edit]French
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Audio: (file)
Adjective
[edit]comparative
Italian
[edit]Adjective
[edit]comparative
Anagrams
[edit]Latin
[edit]Adjective
[edit]comparātīve
References
[edit]- “comparative”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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